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Book Review : Dead Dreams by Emma Right

Fab cover but the plot just lost me and the main character was so naïve and gullible that I couldn’t connect. I read this book as part of a blog tour however I have waited until the tour was over to post my review. So for all those wondering if participating in blog tours means you sugar-coat your review, then my answer as you can see below is NO, definitely not.

Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams--of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for?

Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.

First Line:

“It started on warm April afternoon.”

My Thoughts:

My main thought is that the main character was so naive that she practically begged to be scammed and I had little sympathy for her. She advertises for a flat-mate to share her apartment and ends up with Sarah. First off Sarah is aloof and condescending and I would have no interest in spending anytime with her let alone fall in with any scheme she proposes.

I also found the plot hard to understand, it was convoluted and it took me a while to figure out what exactly Sarah wanted Brie to do and even longer to figure out why. I ended up rereading that part of the book a few times. I was even more lost trying to understand Brie’s motivation for going along with it. I can understand a huge part of the motivation is financial but would that really be enough to abandon your family. Brie has a family who care (her mother even brings around food to ensure she eats correctly), maybe a little on the smothering side but at least they love her and it should have seemed harder for Brie to walk away from them.

Also Brie was at least savy enough to do a little bit of snooping and investigating into Sarah however she didn’t follow through on any of it. There is obviously faint warning bells going off in her head but she ignores the signs. Did no one ever tell her that if something seems too good to be true then it probably is!

So I wasn’t getting the plot or Brie’s motivation however the suspense was built up nicely and I was eager to see what was really going down. At least something was working for me, right? Wrong! I should have bottled that eagerness as no answers were given! One of the most interesting parts was Brie’s dreams however they aren’t explored or explained in this book so you can only guess as to their meaning. And then it ends in a huge cliff-hanger.

I really wish authors wouldn’t do that, it feels like a cheap plot devise to get you to buy the next book. I feel like a broken record repeating this but every book should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Not a beginning, a middle and a ton of unresolved questions, it just makes me feel there is no point to the book. Even in a series, a book should entertain on its own merit and not be totally dependent on you finishing the series to get any form of enjoyment.

Rating Report

Characters

Setting

Pace

Did I feel it?

Overall:

Who should read Dead Dreams?

I can’t recommend the book right now. Maybe when the series is finished and you can read from start to finish, then it will be an entertaining psychological thriller. Maybe. I can’t say I’m interested enough to find out.

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6 Responses to “Book Review : Dead Dreams by Emma Right”

“I really wish authors wouldn’t do that, it feels like a cheap plot devise to get you to buy the next book. I feel like a broken record repeating this but every book should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Not a beginning, a middle and a ton of unresolved questions…”

I 100% agree. It’s ABSOLUTELY a cheap trick, especially if it’s the first in the series. Way to NOT show faith in yourself that you can draw in readers with a strong book… and yet I’m supposed to believe that continuing the series is going to be worth it?

I feel like I’m slightly (very slightly) more forgiving in later books because by then I’m already invested. But the first book of a series should absolutely stand on its own, and a cliffhanger like this is more likely to piss me off than get me to read the next book, even if I liked it most of the way through. (Case in point: I gave 1 star to what probably would have been a 3-star book mainly because of a terrible cliffhanger ending: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/551849040)

It absolutely is Writing 101 and I don’t get why so many authors (and YA thrillers seem to be the worst offenders) fail at this. Well in my eyes anyway. You have to answer some questions in the book to give the reader some faith that the plot is going somewhere.
Your review said it perfectly; there needs to be an element of closure.

Eeek. The main character sounds like a pain and I despise cliff hangers. They always seem like a cheap way to urge readers on. If a book is good enough, readers will need no such push. That is not to say that I haven’t come across some amazing cliff hangers (can you believe I am saying that?) but they are so rare that for the most part, cliff hangers fill me with rage instead of well excitement for the sequel (I’d be lying if I were saying there wasn’t a bit of excitement but you know what I mean).

Lovely Review, Trish and I am sorry this didn’t work out for you more. 🙁

I know the main character was such a push-over, it was hard to care what happened her. And I’m ok with a well done cliff-hanger but I feel the book needs to feel complete too. I think all the cliff hangers I’ve enjoyed, wrap up the book, then add an extra scene to leave you gob-smacked at the turn of events. Those I don’t mind so much (unless I have to wait a year for the next book! Then, I’m raging!)

Well darnit! I was thinking Ooo that’s so a book I want but definitely doesn’t sound like one that would work for me.

I’m mixed on cliffhangers. I really don’t care for how a lot of romance authors do them where the book just randomly…stops and sometimes mid thought/scene and nothing’s resolved. But I do enjoy them in Urban Fantasy where they’re done differently. So the book’s individual storyline will be complete (whatever threat was hitting them) but then it ends with some sort of cliffhanger into the next one. But the book is still complete and can be left as is and not feel like you’ve missed out. Does that make sense? Hrm.

I don’t actually hate cliff hangers as long as some issues in the book are resolved. I love when an author can wrap things up then add an extra scene which adds a new angle; that reels me in but I still feel satisfied. So I know exactly what you mean Anna but not answering one single question is a big no no for me!

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